Valga
Valga is a town in southern
Estonia and the capital of
Valga County. Until their separation in
1920, Valga and the town of
Valka in northern
Latvia were one town. They are now twin-towns. The area of Valga is 16.5 km
2 and that of
Valka is 14.2 km
2. Populations are respectively 15 330 and 7 100.
Valga is situated in the junction of roads and railways.
Tallinn-
Tartu-
Riga railway is connected via
Tapa with
Tallinn-
Narva-
St.Petersburg magistral. Valga is an international junction of railway traffic. Since there is no railway station in
Valka, the trains coming from
Latvia are directed to Lugaži, which is the terminal of
Latvian railway lines.
The distance to
Tartu is 89 km,
Pärnu 144 km,
Tallinn 245 km,
Riga 175 km and
Pskov 170 km.
Since
1944 a local newspaper "
Valgamaalane" is published (3 times a week). There also is a local correspondence office of
Estonian Television (
Eesti Televisioon) and a local radio - "Raadio Ruut".
Valga has concluded several cooperation agreements. The nearest is an agreement (from the year
1995) with the neighbour town
Valka. There are also cooperation agreements with
Oakland, Maryland [
1] town (
USA) and
Östhammar Municipality (
Sweden). There are long-term friendly relations with
Hallsberg Municipality in
Sweden,
Lübz town in
Germany and
Tornio town in
Finland.
Valga is developing quickly. Since
1996 the populace's quality of life has improved due to the renovation of several buildings, including the Central Library, Valga Stadium, Museum, Valga Hospital, and the Culture and Hobby Centre. Step by step the schools and kindergartens are also being modernized. Since
2003 a new water treatment plant has remarkably improved the quality of water in the town.
In the private sector there have been extensive investments into trade, light industry, and forestry.
*
1286 Valga (under name
Walk) appears for the first time in the credit register of the city of
Riga.
*
1298,
1329,
1345 Valga suffers from looting raids made by
Lithuanians who are led by Grand Duke
Gediminas and
Algirdas during the second and third time.
*
1481 A looting raid by
Russians, the settlement burns down for the fourth time.
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1500 Valga, a settlement in the heart of Old Livonia that is not fortified, is chosen as the location for assembling towns' days for 36 times up to
1500.
*
1501 During another raid by
Russians the settlement gets burnt down for the fifth time.
*
1558 During the
Livonian War that bursts out the medieval settlement of Valga is completely destroyed.
*
1584 11 June, Valga is granted the charter and
Riga bylaws by
Stefan Batory, the King of
Poland.
*
1590 17 April,
King of Poland,
Sigismund III Vasa authorizes the charter for the second time. Valga gets its city arms.
*
1600 The first town map. There are seen 42 house properties. The town is 7 km long and 0.5 to 0.25 km wide.
*
1626 After the
Polish-Swedish War Valga becomes the subject of
Sweden. On March 6, King
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden authorizes the existing privilege.
*
1710 As the result of the
Great Northern War, Valga is subjected under
Russian rule together with the rest of
Estonia.
*
1764 5 October, Empress
Catherine II authorizes the town privilege.
*
1783 The district of Valga is formed during the "regency rule" of
Catherine II.
*
1780 First stone buildings are erected: a church, a school and county offices.
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1789 Landsurveyor O.S.Engell drafts the map of Valga showing 76 plots with houses.
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1816 The building of St. John's Church is finished.
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1876 Walkscher Anzeiger, the first newspaper in Valga is issued.
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1889 Valga Railway Station is opened.
22 July Tartu-Valga railway line is officially opened.
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1890 16 December Valga Temperance Society is founded.
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1896 Pärnu-Valga narrow-gauge railway is opened.
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1901 7 December together with
Latvians,
Estonians succeed to win the elections over
Germans in Valga â€" the first occasion on the
Estonian territory. The chemist
Johannes Märtson is elected mayor.
*
1902 In the building of Temperance Society there is founded the social society Säde.
Andres Alver, the county medical officer is elected chairman. Valga-
Marienburg narrow-gauge railway is opened.
*
1908 Girls' Progymnasium is changed into Gymnasium with
Marta Pärna as a principal.
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1909 The construction of Säde building is commenced (architect
Georg Hellat)
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1917 A
German zeppelin flies over the town and drops forty high-explosive bombs without hitting the main target -- the railway station.
*
1918 11 January, the Council of Delegates of Valga County Workers, Soldiers and Landless Men gains power in the town.
12 February,
German Army occupies Valga.
*
1919 11 January, Valga Estonian Gymnasium is opened in 22 Kesk street. For the first time in the history of gymnasiums in Valga the teaching language is
Estonian. In the end of January, 107 victims of red terror are found in five mass graves around Valga, 67 people are taken away as hostages.
31 January takes place the battle at Paju and consequently Valga is freed from
bolsheviks.
*
1920 1 July, the
British envoy Colonel S. G. Tallents conclusively establishes the border between
Estonia and
Latvia. Valga proper up to Konnaoja and Luke graveyard remains intact under
Estonian rule.
*
1921 11 February, the decree of
Estonian government establishes the territory of Valga county. Valga becomes a county centre.
*
1940 17 August Soviet occupation begins and with it the mass deportations of Estonians and Latvians from Valga/Valka
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1941 9 July, Valga is occupied by
German troops.
*
1944 19 September, in the course of heavy fighting Valga is liberated from
German occupation. It is substituted by
Soviet occupation.
*
1988 Valga Protection of Antiquities Society is founded.
27 November, on the initiative of the Society, there is commemorated the beginning the Liberation War at the memorial for those killed in the war.
*
1989 24 February, the first
Estonian flag of the re-established independence period is hoisted to the flagpole of 12 Aia street.
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1992 24 May, the
Russian army base in Valga is taken over, later on it becomes the border guard post.
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1993 17 October, the first free elections of the municipal council, after the restoration of independence, take place.
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1994 31 January, on the 75th anniversary of the battle at Paju its memorial is opened. 21-25 June, worldwide days of Valga county people take place.
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Valga Linn Official website
